Hi all - newbie on here wanting to get more involved with the London snooker scene!

[coxthefox]

Hi all,

I actually joined the site a few months ago when I typed a snooker related question into Google and was directed to the Snooker Forum. It seems that most of the questions I have/had have been answered on here at some point and it’s good to read the opinions of people who actually know a thing or two about the game.

As for me, I usually play in the Hurricane Rooms just across from Kings Cross, but like a lot of the criticisms of the Riley’s clubs in an earlier thread, my criticism of the club is that it doesn’t hold any competitions whatsoever and there’s no league. I feel like I’ve hit a bit of a wall with my game as a result of playing the same set of friends week-in, week-out, who are either a) not as good as me, or b) just as good as me. I’ve started practicing a bit on my own and feel that the only way to progress is to play a few new people who are bit better than me. I can usually knock in twenty-breaks or thereabouts, so I’m under no illusions of being the next Judd Trump!

I was therefore hoping that if anyone knows anyway of perhaps joining a league or entering a few competitions in London where the standard isn’t so great or you can play off a handicap? I’d like to get a bit more involved with the snooker scene, but without playing for a team, it seems my options are limited.

Any advice/info would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers guys,

Steve.

[Deepscrew]

Frames in Coulsdon is the place to go if you are not to far away. Proper tables and comps on the regular.

Welcome!

[coxthefox]

Cheers for the tip - unfortuantely I live in Mile End. Croydon would be quite a trek for a game of snooker. I find it remarkable how there's nothing in central London - there isn't even a single decent snooker shop in the whole of Central London. I think Parris cues are over-priced and his shop is miles away! Maybe I should open my own.

[Deepscrew]

I think the place to live for cues making/shops is Lincolnshire, plenty around there! I had to drive to Mastercraft for cue service, 2 hour trip each way for me!

Club wise i would phone around some conservative clubs/local assocation clubs. Certainly in Bristol ive found more tables to play on than i thought existed looking at those type of places. Cheap too! Wont help on the competition front though!

[coxthefox]

Thanks again - I know what you mean. I'm from up north where a few of the working mens clubs have tables - 20p for twenty mins, only they have all these arcane rules about having to be a member to play, however, becoming a member isn't easy. It's ridiculous.

[snookerdad]

You'll find that becoming a member of a social club is now very easy.

Ask first if they play in a local social clubs snooker league. Most do.

Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)

[Harry Hossack]

As for me, I usually play in the Hurricane Rooms just across from Kings Cross, but like a lot of the criticisms of the Riley’s clubs in an earlier thread, my criticism of the club is that it doesn’t hold any competitions whatsoever and there’s no league. I feel like I’ve hit a bit of a wall with my game as a result of playing the same set of friends week-in, week-out, who are either a) not as good as me, or b) just as good as me. I’ve started practicing a bit on my own and feel that the only way to progress is to play a few new people who are bit better than me. I can usually knock in twenty-breaks or thereabouts, so I’m under no illusions of being the next Judd Trump!

I was therefore hoping that if anyone knows anyway of perhaps joining a league or entering a few competitions in London where the standard isn’t so great or you can play off a handicap? I’d like to get a bit more involved with the snooker scene, but without playing for a team, it seems my options are limited.

depending on how old you are there are junior comps held at kings cross i think and are run by a coach called john woods. go to the website gone2pot.net and contact john about them.

[coxthefox]

Cheers Harry. I've actually seen these going on when I've been in on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately I'm 30!

[coomsey76]

Welcome to the forum Coxthefox.....

I occasionally pop down the Hurricane rooms for a few frames from time to time, you should take a look at Upton park snooker club they run a handicap comp there every Sun.....:snooker:

[cazmac1]

Cheers for the tip - unfortuantely I live in Mile End. Croydon would be quite a trek for a game of snooker. I find it remarkable how there's nothing in central London - there isn't even a single decent snooker shop in the whole of Central London. I think Parris cues are over-priced and his shop is miles away! Maybe I should open my own.

I was working on the mile end road recently and there was a club across the road is it no good???
This is the problem with club snooker you have to travel and put a lot of effort in if you want to play in comps and meet like minded people. I wish you all the best